Apparatus for closing switches



(No Model.) 3' Sheets-Sheet I. J. A. THATOHER. APPARATUS FOR CLOSING SWITGHES.

No. 501,382. v Patented July-11,1893.

(No Model.)

- 9 3 Sheets ,-;Sh et 2. J. A. TH ATCHER. APPARATUS FOR GLOSING' SWITCHES.

No. 501,382. Patented July 1.1:, 1893.

3 Sheets-Sheet. a.

(No Model.)

J. A.-THATGHER. APPARATUS FOR CLOSING $WITUHBS.

N9. 501,382. Paintd July 11, 1893.

NITED ESTATES 'ATENT FFrcE.

APPARATUS FOR CLOSING SWITCHES. A

SPECIFICATION formingpart of Letters Patent No. 501,382, dated July 11, 1893.

Application filed March 11, 1893. Serial No. 465,507. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that 1, JAMES A. THATCHER, a citizen of the United States, residing at Mattoon, in the county of Coles and State of Illinois,have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Apparatus for Olosin g S witches to be Operated by Moving Trains; and I do hereby declare the following to beafull, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same.

My invention relates to railroad switches, and it consists in a certain novel device, whereby the switch is closed upon the approach of a train.

The object of my invention is to prevent accidents from open switches which oftentimes are occasioned by the inattention or neglect of the switchman.

Reference is had to the accompanying drawings, in which the same parts are indicated by the same letters throughout the several views.

Figure 1 represents a sectional elevation of the apparatus and illustrates its operation. Fig. 2 represents a plan view of the switch and its connections. Fig. 3 represents a side elevation of the switch-stand and its connec tions. Fig. 4 represents a view from the opposite side of the switch-stand as shown in Fig. 3, and illustrates the connection of the switch lever to the semaphore. Fig. 5 represents a section along the line x 00 of Figs. 3 and 4.

Arepresents the cowcatcher of the locomotive,which is provided at one side, with a stud or roller a, adapted to strike the projecting arm I) of the lever B which is pivoted at b, and is connected by straps c to the two spring plungers 0 having springs c. The function of these springs is to hold the lever B in a vertical position except when the said lever is pressed to one side by the tripping device a attached to the train. These spring plungers O are held in guides D attached to the box D, in whichthe various parts adjacent to B are preferably mounted. This box is represented as sunk in the ground, at one end of the cross ties, but it may be secured on the top of the ground, and the tripping device a would, in that case be placedhigher up on the locomotive, or on any part of the moving train. To the opposite part of this lever, from the projecting arm b, a rod E is pivotally connected. This rod leads directly to thedog N supporting the switch bar H, as will be hereinafter described. The said switch-lever H is provided with a sliding weight H and clamp-screw h for holding the said weight at any desired position on the said lover. The lever H is rigidly attached to the disk K which is pivoted in the switchstand F by a bolt through either the hole f or the holef. In Fig. 3 the disk K is represented as pivoted about a bolt k in the hole f, and the switch-lever H acts as a pushing lever, to push the switch rail S away from the rail R; while if the disk K were pivoted in the holef, and the pin for the connection S were pivoted in the hole f, the switch-lever Hwould act as a pulling lever, and in'this way the disk K is adapted to make a reversible connection with the switch rail S. The switch lever H is connected by means of the rod Z to the semaphore L mounted on the mast, M and operated in the usual way. The switch lever H, when the switch is open, rests on the bevel face n of the dog N, as shown in Fig. 4. This dog N is pivoted at n, and has connected thereto by means of eyebolts 12 and m the rod E, leading to the releasing lever B, and the rod E, leading to a similar releasing lever at the same distance the other side of the switch as the releasing lever B. This duplication of parts is not shown in the drawings, other than by the rod E. The dog N has a sloping face a adapted to engage the switch-lever H, which presses the upper arm of the dog back against ,the spring N, and allows the switch-bar to pass over the dog; as soon as'the pressure of the switch-lever on the cam face n is relieved, as by the passage of the leverH above the dog, the spring N throws the dog beneath the lever, and prevents the same from falling, as indicated by dotted lines in-Fig.,5.

In order that the switch bar may be released at the switch-stand, and allowed to fall, when in the position indicated by the dotted lines in Fig. 5, a pedal N pivoted at at andhaving arms n and n is provided. A spring N may also be provided to normally hold the pedal clear of the dog N, but this is not necessary.

5 By having two releasing levers B one on each side of the switch, and at the requisite distance therefrom, the switch may be closed by a train approaching from either direction, no matter whether left open by the switchman or not.

The operation of the device is as follows: The releasing lever B being placed at the required distance from the switch, as the train approaches the rollerastrikes the projecting r5 arm Z) of the releasing lever, bending it down, and at the same time pulling on the rod E which withdraws the dog N from beneath the switch lever arm, and allows the weight H to drop, closing the switch S. Should the 2o switch be already closed, the dog N will simply be pulled back without occasioning any damage. By arranging the rods E and E as shown in Fig. 5, the dog N may be moved by trains approaching from either side of the switch, without in any way interfering with the operation of the switch-lever.

In order that there may be a firm yet yielding connection between the disk K and the switch rail S, I preferably construct the con- 0 meeting rod in two parts S and S joined together by a bolt 3 havingaslight play in the guides s and s and having ahead 5 adapted to bring up against the lug or guide 3 The first part of the motion of the weighted arm is taken up by the springs interposed between the two parts of the connecting rod. In this way sudden jerks on the switch are avoided.

It will be obvious that the lug or roller may be placed upon the steps or upon any other portion of the cab, the tender, or the cars of the train, and that it may be mounted on a lever or be otherwise placed under the control of the engineer; that the rods E may 5 be connected to the releasing lever B above the pivot 11, and thus extend above the ground, and that many other modifications might be made, which could be used without departing from the spirit of my invention.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim, and desire to secure by Letters Patent of the United States, is-

1. In a railroad switch, the combination with the switch-stand of a disk pivoted thereon, a Weighted switch lever rigidly attached to said disk and connecting rods S and S sliding bolt .9 and spring 8 interposed between said rods, the said rods, bolt, and spring, connecting the said disk to the switch points, a dog pivoted in said switch stand and adapted to support said switch and means operated by an approaching train, for tripping said dog and releasing said switch lever, substantially as and for the purposes described.

2. An apparatus for closing railroad switches, comprising a releasing lever pivoted at the requisite distance from the switch and projecting above the ground alongside of the track, a weighted switch lever, a yielding connection between said switch lever and the switch points, a pivoted dog supporting the said switch lever, when the switch is open, a system of rods connecting said releasing lever with said pivoted dog, and a projecting lug or roller attached to the train and adapted to strike said releasing lever and trip said dog, substantially as described.

3. An apparatus for closing railroad switches, comprising a releasing lever pivoted at the requisite distance from the switch and projecting above the ground alongside of the track, means adapted to hold the same normally in a position approximately vertical, a switch stand and a disk pivoted thereon, a weighted switch lever rigidly attached to said disk, a yielding connection between said switch lever and the switch points, a pivoted dog supporting the said switch lever when the switch is open, a system of rods connecting said releasinglever with said pivoted dog, and a projecting lug or roller attached to the train and adapted to strike said releasing lever and trip said dog, substantially as and for the purposes described.

4. An apparatus for closing railroad switches, comprising a releasing lever pivoted at the requisite distance from .the switch and projecting above the ground alongside of the track, a weighted switch lever, a pivoted dog supporting the said switch lever when the switch is open, a spring normally holding said dog vertical, a system of rods connecting said releasing lever with said pivoted dog, and a projecting lug or roller attached to the train and adapted to strike said releasing lever and trip said dog, substantially as described.

5. An apparatus for closing railroad switches, comprising a releasing lever pivoted at the requisite distance from the switch and projecting above the ground alongside of the track, means adapted to hold the same normally in a position approximately vertical, a weighted switch lever, a pivoted dog supporting the said switch lever when the switch is open, a spring normally holding said dog vertical, a bell-crank lever adapted to trip said dog by hand or foot, a system of rods connecting said releasing lever with said pivoted dog, and a projecting lug or roller attached to the train and adapted to strike said releasing lever and trip said dog, substantially as described.

6. In an apparatus of the character described, the combination with the pivoted switch lever H of the dog N pivoted at 'n, and provided with eye bolts 1?. and 02. the spring N normally holding said dog in the position to support the switch lever, and means operated by a moving train to trip said dog and release said switch lever, substantially as and for the purposes described.

IIO

7. In an apparatus of the character deswitch lever, substantially as and for the pur- 1o scribed, the combination with the pivoted poses described. I switch lever 1-1 of the dog N pivoted at n, and In testimony whereof I affix my signature in provided with eye bolts n and n the spring presence of two witnesses.

N normally holdin said do" in the position v I 1 x to support the swit h lever, the bell crank 16- JAMES THATLHER' ver N having arm n and foot rest n for trip- Witnesses:

ping said dog, and means operated by a mov- JOHN WV. GAY,

ing train to trip said dog and release said GEO. S. BOULWARE. 

